Her whole life, Miriam had been afraid – of appearing weak, of admitting she had a problem, “of everything.” Her fear led her to the power of escape through art and reading. Then suddenly, the fear grabbed hold of her life, pushing her away from the characters of Anne Rice, Stephen King and John Irving,…

Nicks Success Story: Breaking the Cycle Addiction was nothing new to Nick. His father drank routinely, and after watching his family fall apart, Nick told himself he would never drink or do drugs. Yet, as the stress of school, friends and the pressure to fit in grew stronger, he fell victim to the disease of…

Outrunning Addiction Cheryl’s journey to recovery is anything but a general success story. A 30 pack of beer and a bottle of Bacardi every day was Cheryl’s norm for 22 years. After experiencing emotional and physical pain at a young age, Cheryl found solace in alcohol, which helped her escape her family reality and fit in…

During life after treatment, people will either enter a Recovery Home or return back to their old lives. Unfortunately, this sometimes exposes them to old habits and influences, which can be difficult to resist and increase susceptibility to relapse. Fortunately, there is ample advice and recovery support for this time in someone’s journey. Join support groups…

Suburban Survivor of the Opioid Epidemic Speaks Out in Alumni Success Story There is a thief hiding in the shadows of today’s suburban lifestyles. It’s called addiction, and it is stealing the identities, families, careers, and lives of people who might otherwise appear to “have it all together.” This is my alumni success story. You’ve heard the…

Mikes Success Story: Starting from the Bottom Shelf Drinking began for Mike when he was working at a liquor store at age 13. His friend’s father owned a store, and Mike was responsible for stocking the shelves and checking inventory. It was easy to steal a bottle here and there because he was the one in…

Regaining Control: A Young Mens Success Story Feelings of isolation, fear, lack of control and failure were all too familiar for Mariusz. When attempts at creating an idealistic world to escape his reality fell short, Mariusz found comfort in alcohol and drugs at age 15. Like many young men, Mariusz began drinking on the weekends with a new group…

Gateway Foundation President and CEO Dr. Thomas Britton and Gateway alum Nick spoke to Niala Boodhoo on Illinois Public Media’s The 21st show to discuss the current opioid crisis and Nick’s journey to recovery. To listen to the podcast, click here. “It destroyed everything.” Nick’s addiction had severe consequences. It damaged his relationships with family and loved ones. He found himself…

Craig’s Alcohol Success Story The trouble didn’t come all at once. Craig had a family he loved and a job he cared about. From the outside, life seemed pretty good. But too often, it didn’t feel that way to Craig. In his mind, he was stagnant. This is Craig’s alcohol success story. “My life felt…

Out of the Ring, into Recovery Before he became a voice of recovery, Everett abused alcohol and crack cocaine for about 20 years. He let down his extended family, his children and their mother. He felt like he was in a boxing ring, fighting a 12-foot monster. “I’m in the ring and I’m not even swinging anymore…